Chandigarh: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has begun intensifying its outreach to prominent religious deras in Punjab as part of its broader “Mission Punjab”, a move that is bringing the political influence of these institutions back into sharp focus ahead of the next Assembly elections.
The BJP’s growing proximity to at least three major deras in the state has triggered unease within the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Political temperatures rose further after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dera Sachkhand Ballan on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, a development widely seen as politically significant in Punjab’s evolving electoral equation.
Dera Sachkhand Ballan is considered highly influential in the Doaba region, where its followers are believed to impact electoral outcomes in several constituencies. The Centre’s earlier decision to confer the Padma Shri on Dera Ballan head Sant Niranjan Das, followed by Modi’s visit to the dera, is being interpreted as a clear signal that the BJP is seeking to consolidate the deras’ traditional vote banks. This perceived alignment has unsettled rival political parties across the spectrum.
Attention has also shifted to Radha Soami Satsang Beas after its head Gurinder Singh Dhillon met Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia at Nabha jail on Monday and publicly termed the cases against him “false”. The meeting is being seen in political circles as an indication that Dera Beas may prefer to keep its distance from the AAP in the future.
Dera Beas commands a large following across north India, particularly in Punjab’s Majha region. While the dera has traditionally maintained a stance of political neutrality, recent developments have led to questions being raised about whether that position is shifting. Prime Minister Modi has earlier visited Dera Beas, and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has reportedly visited the dera multiple times over the past decade and a half.
The developments have not gone unnoticed by the state government. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday made an indirect but pointed remark that was widely interpreted as a swipe at the Dera Beas leadership, underlining the political sensitivity surrounding the growing engagement between the BJP and influential religious institutions.
With deras continuing to hold sway over sizeable sections of voters, especially in rural and semi-urban Punjab, their perceived political alignment is once again emerging as a crucial factor in the run-up to the state’s next electoral battle.
